Nintendo Announces Dual-Screen Portable

[V3]

well, PR bullshit is PR bullshit is PR bullshit. that does not mean that that handheld would not be a good one, or that its two screens would be inadequate compared to the upcoming "wide screen" generation : )

I am not saying 2 screens are inadequate, I am just asking why they are bragging about the 2 screens are going to bring something new to games ?

For me it seems like crap. If anyone have a good usage for it that can't be done any other way, it would be nice to share with skeptics like me.

Nintendo press release brags about different perspectives, RPG stats. For me the cited usage doesn't have any substance to justify the concept.

I mean gaming usage, not portability or power, etc.

 

[gurgi]

It could be kinda neat if developers actually do something with it. Maybe a covert game where you can set up surveillance cameras and watch them on the other screen.

There really isn't much I can think of that would HAVE to be done on this device. It definately seems like just a gimmick to me.. but hell, I have an ereader.



The wording says each screen will have its own cpus. So an arm9 and an arm7 for each screen. No word of a seperate gpu that I've seen. What kind of 3D capabilities would this device have? Obviously nothing as robust as PSP.. but there will be 3D games on this thing. I wonder what they will look like.

 

[hey69]

remember sega dreamcast VMU (memorycard/lcd screen) they argued also that it would give alot of new posibilities to have a screen on your gamepad and whatnot...

isn't a second screen just for showing maps/tips/data overkill?
you still end up with a small gaming screen where another screen(equivel in size) is occupied just for some extra stuff...
(maybe nice for pinbal games stretched over the 2 screens)


Nintento is trying to much to be different , lame excuse , they just couldn't launch it with single screen because it would be too weak compared to PSP so they added some new in it with the excuse it will give some new original ideas for games. ..
(it's not original anymore.. N did it already years ago with their game&watch)

 

[V3]

Maybe pictures of this device or a better explanation have been revealed since last night, but are the screens connected physically like that game and watch?.. or is there a cord between them?

I was just thinking that a benefit of this device could be multiplayer games. I never play gba games with others, because even if they have a gba and even if I have my link cable, I don't have 2 copies of my carts.

The press release said the screen is vertically aligned, one on top of the other. Most here including me assume clamshell design. So that Game & Watch seems to fit the design, but not necessarly. It can still have some other unorthodox design.

So perhaps you can pull it apart ? Rearrange them or like you suggested for multiplayer purpose ?

And knowing Nintendo, this will probably link with Gamecube or GBA in some way.

I also remember something along the line that this product will be the direction of next gen Nintendo console. So perhaps its a hint of multiple out, or inclusion of multiple LCD screens on the consoles it self.

 

[V3]

Maybe a covert game where you can set up surveillance cameras and watch them on the other screen.

Like XIII ?

 

[Teasy]

I was a bit worried that this mystery product would be a massive let down, nothing as substantial as a new kind of portable. So I've been very pleasently suprised here.

At first, when I read about it, I also thought "the dual screen thing sounds a bit silly". But then I decided to actually think about instead of just bashing it. Here's one idea for an application of this handheld:

One of the fundemental problems in computer Football games today is that you can only see a portion of the pitch. A player, in real life, can look right out over the field of play. He can stand at one end of the pitch and see someone 60-70 yards away starting to make a run, and so attempt to hit a long ball to him. The problem is in a computer game you need to be reasonably close to the player your controlling in order to be able to keep the ball. You need to be able to see were the ball is at a players feet and exactly what is happening directly around him in detail. Because of this you can never see anywhere near the whole pitch without compromising the gameplay. Games have attemped very small maps of the entire pitch at the bottom of the screen, with little dots moving around to represent the players movement on the pitch. But those maps are pretty useless. For a start they're always to small to accurately show you what's happening on the whole of the pitch. Also they're overlayed over the main view so they're hard to see (with the pitch and players running behind the map.. its confusing).

But with DS one screen can be for the main game and the screen above can be used as an interactive map. The interactive map would have several functions. The two main functions I would like to see would be attacking half and defensive half views. Say you have the ball in your own half, you switch the map (maybe with buttons on the back of the handheld) to the atacking half of the pitch and you can then see, in decent detial, what all the players ahead of you are doing while also being able to see what your doing. You can see a player making a run and pass to them even if they're 50-70 yards ahead of you. Or if you lose the ball in the opposing teams half, or in midfield, you could switch to defensive half to see where your defenders are before deciding what action to take. For instance you might see that your defence is organised poorly at that time, their may be a big whole right through it. In which case instead of putting your efforts into winning the ball back, you might put your efforts into first filling that gap and organising the defence. All the while, when your moving a player back to help strengthen the defence, or whatever, you could be keeping an eye on the opposing player with the ball on the other screen to make sure he doesn't become a problem for you. When the defence looks good you can then go and try to win the ball back, or if you see that it becomes urgent to win the ball back straight away you could do that instead at any time. I'm sure this won't interest some people, even some Football fans won't want to get that strategic and complicated. But for the real Football fanatics, of which there are LOTS, this would be fantastic if done properly.

Another interesting view in the interactive map could be a closeup of the apposing penalty area. You might be looking for a good pass, but you can also be keeping a very detailed eye on the keeper. If he strays off his line, or is just not in a great positio, you can see it and perhaps try to chip him.. This has SO many posibilities for taking this particular genre of game to the next level!

V3

It doesn't matter if dual display gameplay could be improvised (rather poorly AFAICS) on a single big screen. Because how many developers are going to innovate with this kind of gameplay on a device with a single screen?.. none so far! A lot of them may just not have thought of it, but most of them probably think it will be to different to sell well on a handheld aimed at single display games. The fact is DS encourages devs to develop this type of game. It gives them an audience that they know will want these kind of games. So yes Dual Screen does equal something new in gameplay because it allows devs to safely innovate with this kind of gameplay, without the fear that their game will completely flop because its to different.

 

[gurgi]

Like I said.. I can't think of anything that would require this setup.

But at the same time, any developer that wants to make games for this thing, needs to find a use for that second screen. That could initiate some neat ideas? (still trying to think positively here).

 

[hey69]

that's the point, when you have 2 seperate screens, you are forced to develop on 2 screens.
when you have 1 bigger screen, you can also split a part of the screen to have a second screen, if you want to

 

[jvd]

While I'm not to excited mostly because i don't know what its capable of . But If this was announced by another video game maker I bet this would be held as the biggest thing since sliced bread.


With that out of the way there are many many things this can do .

IN a fps . Its annoying as hell not knowing whats going on behind you. So the second screen could be a rear view .

Or in a coop fps . One screen is for yourself and the other screen shows what a party member is doing or where he is .


IN a racing game. You could have 2 diffrent views up at the same time or use the top one as a rear view mirror .

Would help alot in games like mario kart .


For a role playing game .

Linking up together with wifi or a link cable instead of sharing the same screen and doing everything together you both might get diffrent quests and have to complete them .

Or a quest could require two items and to get it done faster you can split up . The top screen shows your friend and lets you know whats going on with him while the bottom one is your screen .


Those are just some examples off the top of my head .


You guys say why two screens . You should be asking why not two screens


When my friends come over for mario kart even though i have a 50 inch plamsa we still lan it up and play on the 50 , a 27 inch and a 22 inch tv .

 

[clem64]

Exemple of dual screen game. Any of you remember Nintendo's old Punch-Out cabinets?

If used properly, a DS handheld could be very cool. They just have to find ideas to really make the best use of it.

Personally I'm looking forward to this. It has a lot of potential to bring something different to gaming.

 

[hey69]

so waste 50% of the visible area with a scoreboard and your score? ...txss

 

[clem64]

that's the point, when you have 2 seperate screens, you are forced to develop on 2 screens.
when you have 1 bigger screen, you can also split a part of the screen to have a second screen, if you want to

You're making it sound like a negative thing. It's gonna force developers to think differently about gaming in general and also force them to come up with new ideas. I see that as a very good thing.

 

[LisaJoy]

I'm sick of having to use part of the screen to monitor my character status in a RPG for example. An aux screen would help, I'm sure it can be nice in other games as well, the 'map' idea for example.

Two 3" screens assuming 4:3 ratio (vertical) I guess would give about the same size (maybe slightly less) as one 4.5" screen with the same ratio. They could have used just use one bigger screen and use 2 viewports, why two and make all the fuss even calling it as Nintendo DS (Dual Screen). I hope that name don't stick in the final product.

They should really try using a bigger screen, or using two bigger screens instead of small 3".

Your completely missing the point, its so that gamers dont ever have to mess with these windows, they are both controller seperately, they can do these things without having to interupt the game, it will offer a completely new way of gaming, each screen has its own CPU, people will be able to view games from different angles at the same time..

for instance, a golf game, one screen focusing on the ball itself, the other focusing on the area around the hole, so you dont have to change your views to check your shots..
and I dont know where you get the idea that 2X3 is less space than 4.5"
might want to check your math.

 

[London Geezer]

I just don't get why those things can't be done with a single big screen being split into 2.

If "multiple views" and variants are the only thing this is for, then i'm not impressed. If one needs multiple views, he just needs a split screen.

Multiple screens just seems a gimmick to many, unless we are all missing some major points here, which i think might be the case.

 

[Magnum PI]

if the console is foldable it makes sense to use two distinct screens.
and maybe it costs less than to make a single screen.

 

[V3]

Teasy,

It doesn't matter if dual display gameplay could be improvised (rather poorly AFAICS) on a single big screen. Because how many developers are going to innovate with this kind of gameplay on a device with a single screen?.. none so far!

Well I remember playing Dragon Ball Z game on SNES along time ago that split the screen into two. Not too mentioned alot of multi player games feature split screen.

And lately one game that uses multiple viewport for effect and some gamplay is XIII.

A lot of them may just not have thought of it, but most of them probably think it will be to different to sell well on a handheld aimed at single display games.

Using single screen Nintendo could do it themself, and let other follows if it works.

The fact is DS encourages devs to develop this type of game. It gives them an audience that they know will want these kind of games. So yes Dual Screen does equal something new in gameplay because it allows devs to safely innovate with this kind of gameplay, without the fear that their game will completely flop because its to different.

At the moment I am assuming that the Dual Screen is put close enough so it looks like one screen. Like the Football example you gave, having to look at the second screen, which in this case is still very small, and analyse the way you did, you just lose attention to the main game screen unless you pause the game. Its still better to superimpose it like Diablo map, if you like it like that. Information just flow better to you.

JVD,

While I'm not to excited mostly because i don't know what its capable of . But If this was announced by another video game maker I bet this would be held as the biggest thing since sliced bread.

Only Nintendo innovate remember

With that out of the way there are many many things this can do .

IN a fps . Its annoying as hell not knowing whats going on behind you. So the second screen could be a rear view .

Or in a coop fps . One screen is for yourself and the other screen shows what a party member is doing or where he is .

IN a racing game. You could have 2 diffrent views up at the same time or use the top one as a rear view mirror .

Would help alot in games like mario kart .

most of these can be (already) done using viewports, and most example you cite will make most of games lose its excitement. Sure you have advantage, but that's like cheating. Mario Kart with rear view mirror, come on, that would make the game sux.

You guys say why two screens . You should be asking why not two screens


When my friends come over for mario kart even though i have a 50 inch plamsa we still lan it up and play on the 50 , a 27 inch and a 22 inch tv.

Well assuming you can tear these two screens apart, why not ? for multiplayer purpose. Though Nintendo is working hard on Wireless GBA, but hey why not ?

 

[London Geezer]

How about those games that do not NEED multiple views? In that case, it would be a gimmick to have the second screen just to dump useless stats on it...

 

[AzBat]

I can understand the complaints of why dual screens are necessary when you could use one screen and use multiple ports. However, no developer has ever tried this. Screen real estate on hand held is a commodity that the developer covets. They make complete use of the whole screen at the detriment of all other uses.

Now the NDS seems a little different animal. They're not just giving you another display for the sake of giving you another display. This 2nd display is also getting it's own CPU. This one addition to me invalidates all the complaints of just using a bigger display and using multiple viewports. In essence, it tells me that you're basically getting 2 handhelds in one device. I also suspect the use of the clam shell design, but I'm also expecting the 2nd display will be detachable maybe connected via a System Link cable. Thus it could be used in head-2-head gaming. I would be very surprised if Nintendo didn't try to use it in this fashion. They are only letting us know what they want us to know at this time. I suspect they're holding back on their much bigger uses for the device till E3. Till then I would hope people would give it the benefit of the doubt. It's better news than not having product at all.

Tommy McClain

 

[V3]

Your completely missing the point, its so that gamers dont ever have to mess with these windows, they are both controller seperately, they can do these things without having to interupt the game, it will offer a completely new way of gaming, each screen has its own CPU, people will be able to view games from different angles at the same time..

You can do this with one bigger screen using two viewports, with how many processor they wish to have.

for instance, a golf game, one screen focusing on the ball itself, the other focusing on the area around the hole, so you dont have to change your views to check your shots..

This has been done on some Golf arcade game. Maybe Hole in One.

and I dont know where you get the idea that 2X3 is less space than 4.5"
might want to check your math.

I am just picturing it in my head, doing the geometry roughly.

Two 3" screen (4:3) roughly 57 cm2
One 4.5" screen (4:3) roughly 63 cm2

This is just rough working on my head, feel free to correct me with the right number.

 

[Clashman]

A 4.5" screen would be 16x9, though, right? Not 4x3. A 3" screen for NDS could concievably be 2x2.24", (also not 4:3, at least I don't think so. Just did it because it was easy to figure out in my head). Combining two of them would give a screen size of 2x4.48", which could equate to a 4.9" screen combined.

Edit: In that case they would be roughly equal in terms of overall area, with a slight edge to Nintendo.